He died of complications from his underlying heart disease, he said, adding that the full results of the investigation into the cause of death are pending.

The man, who had muscle pain and diarrhoea, was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth 2 Hospitals emergency and trauma unit on National Day.

Dr Noor Hisham earlier said the case, reported to the ministry on Friday, was believed to be the first locally-transmitted Zika infection in the country.

This Zika infection was most likely from a local source of infection as the patient did not have any recent travelling history abroad and was probably bitten by an Aedes mosquito infected with Zika, he said in a statement.

The patient developed a fever on Aug 27 and sought medical attention for the first time at the Luyang Health Clinic on Aug 30. The next day, he sought further treatment at the hospital when he experienced worsening fever, muscle aches and diarrhoea.

The patient, said Dr Noor Hisham, also had high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, kidney stones and gout.

Due to the multiple illnesses, the patients condition was quite serious when he was first seen at the hospital, he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said the patients blood and urine samples tested positive for Zika but his serious clinical condition could also be due to existing health afflictions and not primarily due to the Zika virus.